PEP for an unrestricted __init__ ?!

[Jeff Shannon]

In article <mailman.1019182657.12773.python-list at python.org>, 
pyth at devel.trillke.net says...

> But __new__ or __init__ still restrict you to return instances
> of their respective class? This does sound rather sane,
> but i imagined some other uses for an unrestricted __init__ (or __new__)
> such as making functions-objects a special case of classes:
> 
>    def func(args):
>       "compute some stuff
>       return result
> and
>    class func:
>        def __init__(self, args):
>           "compute some stuff"
>           return result

Well, you can already accomplish something like what you are 
asking for, by defining a __call__() method for the class.  That 
lets class instances be used as callable objects -- using 
function syntax on them.

>>> class foo:
... 	def __init__(self, food):
... 		self.food = food
... 	def __call__(self):
... 		print "Spam and %s!" % self.food
... 
>>> eggs = foo('eggs')
>>> beans = foo('baked beans')
>>> eggs()
Spam and eggs!
>>> beans()
Spam and baked beans!
>>> beans.food = 'bacon'
>>> beans()
Spam and bacon!
>>> 

Obviously, you can do any amount of processing and checking that 
you want in your __call__() method.  

So most of what you want to do, already exists.  :)  (Guido's 
time machine strikes again!)

-- 

Jeff Shannon
Technician/Programmer
Credit International